Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to give a big shout-out to those working in the aged-care sector throughout my electorate of O'Connor. I am proud to say that I have visited almost every aged-care facility in my electorate and witnessed firsthand the outstanding care afforded to our senior citizens. I take my hat off to these unsung heroes who work hard maintaining the dignity and quality of life of our community elders who can no longer live independently in their own homes. To keep O'Connor families in the region, our parents and grandparents need to be able to age in place surrounded by loved ones in the community they have lived in and contributed to all their lives.

Earlier this year, the Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, visited O'Connor, and I was pleased to host important discussions with our aged-care providers around the challenges unique to delivering quality residential care in the regions. Julie Christensen is one of O'Connor's most innovative and compassionate facility managers. She is currently overseeing a multimillion dollar upgrade to the Karinya Residential Aged Care centre in Narrogin. Thanks to last year's ACAR bed allocations, Karinya Residential Aged Care is currently expanding to dementia, bariatrics and palliative care capabilities in Narrogin, improving outcomes for aged care in our southern Wheatbelt region.

Meanwhile, the Esperance Aged Care Facility has turned the first sod on their upgrade thanks to a $3.1 million ACAR grant and the provision of an additional 30 aged-care bed licences. On completion, they will be able to house 114 residents, with three new wings, including a 12-bed secure dementia unit.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the retiring director of nursing, Kathie Carey, for her tireless dedication to providing the best possible regional residential care for seniors of the Esperance district and surrounds who would otherwise face their twilight years living away from their loved ones over 600 kilometres away in Perth.

In the south-west of my vast electorate, there is a small but highly regarded 16-bed facility—Geegeelup Village Hostel in Bridgetown. Despite having waiting lists of up to 40 people at any given time, it has been difficult for them to raise the capital needed to grow and expand. Today I am pleased to report that Geegeelup Village Hostel will receive more than $7.5 million of federal capital funding, paving the way to double their residential bed capacity and provide secure dementia accommodation, palliative care and respite services for the regions expanding ageing population.

I first visited Geegeelup Village Hostel and met manager, Dyan Dent, in 2013 when I was still a candidate. Helping the facility find the money for expansion has been a priority of mine ever since. I have visited Geegeelup many times and have always been impressed by the drive and vision of Dyan, her board and her dedicated team. I am thrilled to see that their efforts have been rewarded, and the benefits will flow to not only Bridgetown but the wider communities of Greenbushes and Boyup Brook, ensuring the viability of Geegeelup Village Hostel well into the future. I will finish by again thanking those who work tirelessly to care for O'Connor's ageing citizens. (Time expired)